This is the first post in a four-part series on how to make a swimsuit. Make no mistake - I am no expert! But I recently finished making my first tankini and was remarkably surprised at how easy it was and how few

I'm a beginner sewer. I sewed when I was 12 for awhile, but then I stopped and now I'm 26. I'd really like to begin making my own bathing suit designs.

When I went to see about buying a sewing machine the other day, the woman there told me I had to get a serger to make swimsuits. She said that since they are very expensive (she only had

one type and it was 940 euros!) and since I haven't sewn a lot, I should buy a regular sewing machine with an overlock-like function - not

the same, but similar.

She said there is no machine, other than a serger, that has this specific overlock function you need to make bathing suits. Is this true??? I'm not sure I believe her since she was trying to sell me this one machine that she said I should buy instead, that had the overlock-like function. I decided to think about it...